Broadway is getting some recognition with a little drag, burlesque, and rock n’ roll.
Iba Iba. Sama Sama sa Dilim, an all-Filipinx mythological burlesque and drag show, takes over Under St. Marks Theater on Oct. 26, transforming stories of Filipino myths and monsters into a night of glamor, humor, and provocative performance.
Produced by Lady Mabuhay and Stiletto Sinclair, the show brings together Saffron Soleil, Grand Mafun, VaLeria, Miss Cherry Delight, and Lily con Carnage, each putting their own spin on the stories and traditions that have shaped Filipino culture.
Lady Mabuhay is an established performer celebrating a decade on the burlesque stage. She is usually featured on stage at major national events like the Colorado, Ohio, and Land of the Sky Burlesque Festivals. Her name “Mabuhay” translates from Tagalog to “Life!”
Stiletto Sinclair, born in Manila, Philippines and raised in the Bronx brings her own signature blend of polished choreography, mischief, and empowering pep talks to her performances and independent art pieces.
The two talented producers, Mabuhay and Sinclair approach Iba Iba differently from traditional retellings of familiar legends, using drag and burlesque to reimagine them through a distinctly queer and contemporary lens. The production combines mythology with camp, sensuality, and theatrical spectacle, giving its performers some room to embrace Filipino culture beyond expectations of what cultural representation should look like.
The show title itself captures the spirit. “Iba Iba” translates to “differently” or “various,” while “sama sama” means “together,” perfect for bringing together different performers, identities, and interpretations of the Filipino community itself.
As for performer Miss Cherry Delight, some might know her, but she is a rock singer and performance artist and a first-generation Filipina American. The night challenges expectations of what Filipino representation can look like. She comes from a proud lineage, as her grandfather survived the Bataan Death March, a part of her family history that today carries resilience and survival.
Her own expression of Filipino identity is unconventional—loud, theatrical, provocative, and heavily influenced by rock and roll. Cherry made history as Miss Coney Island 2013, becoming the first Asian woman to hold the title.
After years in New York’s burlesque scene, she retired from burlesque in 2019 to pursue music full-time, carrying the spectacle and storytelling of performance art into her work as a rock n’ roll singer. In 2023, she became the first Filipina vocalist to receive a Wavy Award for “Best Live Performance” for her annual Coney Island spectacular “Cherry Hellodies” – a massive rock collision of live music backing, death-defying sideshow, and dangerous burlesque.
Now, her appearance in Iba Iba brings her back to the burlesque stage while embracing the message at the heart of her work: Filipino identity need not fit into a single image.
Alongside Cherry, the cast’s different performance styles turn the production into something more than a single performer’s story. Through drag, burlesque, comedy, music, and theatricality, Iba Iba creates space for Filipino folklore to be playful, sensual, strange, and unapologetically modern.
The production suggests there is no single way to perform Filipino identity. It can be booted in stories passed down from generations while being reinvented beneath stage lights in downtown Manhattan.
Iba Iba. Sama Sama sa Dilim takes place on Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. at Under St. Marks Theater, 94. St. Marks Place. This is a 21+ show.
For more information, visit: www.broadwayworld.com/off-off-broadway/regional/Iba-IbaSama-Sama-sa-DilimAn-All-Filipinx-Mythological-Burlesque-and-Drag-Show-4407200.
